Part 7: Easy Plant Guide (No Stress, Beginner-Friendly)

  • 5 min

Plants make your aquarium look more natural, help with water quality, and make fish feel safer. The best part? You can do it without complicated setups.

1) Why plants are good (simple reasons)

  • Make the tank look nicer
  • Fish feel less stressed (more hiding space)
  • Helps absorb some waste in the water
  • Makes the tank feel more “alive”

2) The 3 Plant Types (So you know what to do)

A) “Attach plants” (easiest)

These plants should NOT be buried in the substrate.

Examples:

  • Anubias
  • Java Fern
  • Moss (Java Moss / Christmas Moss)

✅ Best for beginners

How to use:

  • Tie or wedge them onto wood / rock / decor (Usually sell in tied woods)
  • Keep the “root base” above the substrate

B) Rooted plants (go into the substrate)

These plants like their roots in gravel/soil.

Examples:

  • Cryptocoryne (Crypts)
  • Amazon Sword
  • Vallisneria
  • Water Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis)

How to plant:

  • Push roots into substrate gently (video)
  • Don’t bury the plant too deep (let the leaves stay above)

C) Floating plants (super beginner-friendly)

These sit on the water surface.

Examples:

  • Amazon Frogbit
  • Red Root Floater
  • Salvinia
  • Dwarf Water Lettuce
  • Water Sprite (floating)

✅ Great for beginners
✅ Helps reduce algae by blocking extra light
✅ Fish feel safer under them

3) Beginner “Plant Layout” (Easy placement)

Front (short plants / open space)

  • Keep it open for viewing and easy cleaning
  • You can leave it empty or add moss/low plants

Middle (main focus area)

  • Anubias on rock/wood
  • Java Fern tied to decor

Back (taller plants)

  • Vallisneria (great background)
  • Water Wisteria (fills space fast)

Simple goal:
Front open + middle nice + back tall = looks natural and clean.

4) Light for plants (simple timing)

  • With plants: 6–8 hours/day
  • Start lower first (especially for new tanks) to reduce algae
  • Use a timer if possible (easy and consistent)

5) How to plant without killing plants (common mistakes)

✅ Do this

  • Rinse plants gently (remove dirt/snails if needed)
  • Plant slowly, don’t rush
  • Give plants time to adapt (some “melt” is normal)

❌ Don’t do this

  • Don’t bury Anubias / Java Fern root base
  • Don’t blast light 10–12 hours a day
  • Don’t keep changing the setup every few days

6) “Plant melt” (normal beginner worry)

Some plants may look worse in the first 1–2 weeks. This can be normal while they adapt.

What to do:

  • Keep light steady
  • Don’t overfeed
  • Continue weekly water changes
  • Give it time

7) Super Easy Plant Pack (Beginner Starter Set)

If you want a simple “safe mix”:

  • 1–2 Anubias
  • 1–2 Java Fern
  • 1 moss (Java/Christmas)
  • 1 Vallisneria (background)
  • 1 Water Wisteria (fills space)
  • 1 floating plant (Amazon Frogbit or Salvinia)

This combo looks good, grows well, and is beginner-friendly.

If you tell our That Aquarium staff  what fish you plan to stock, we can help recommend if it’s beginner-safe!

🐡 Puffed up with knowledge? Give us a like and keep floating along!

👉 Next Up: We’ll go over some feeding tips for your fish to keep them healthy!

Author: Kelvin Phua

Illustrator(s): Rong Sheng

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